After saving the Empress, I became the top scholar in the imperial examination.

The warm sunshine shone on my body.

When I opened my eyes again, it was already afternoon.

As the sun is about to sink into the embrace of the distant mountains, the last golden hue of the entire village will fade, replaced by the boundless twilight of night.

Zhu Cuiwei rubbed her head and sat up in bed with a struggling expression.

I slept for almost four hours, but I felt a little groggy. It took a while before my vision gradually focused and my thoughts became clear again.

As I pushed open the door, I heard soft, rustling sounds coming from Ning's room.

Zhu Cuiwei frowned, curled her fingers, and knocked on the door.

"Cui Cui~"

Ning called out to her, her voice weak but still clearly strong.

She breathed a sigh of relief; this was a sign that the other person's body had recovered.

Pull the bolt and push open the door to the inner room.

Ning Shi leaned against the mattress, looking at her with surprise and tenderness. Yang Qiniang was feeding Ning Shi millet porridge, with a few pieces of green vegetables on top of the white porridge.

A plump, unfamiliar auntie sat by the bed, dressed in a festive manner with a beaded flower in her hair.

"Hey, hey, then Sister Ning, it's settled then!" The plump aunt stood up cheerfully, the bamboo chair beneath her creaking as if she was about to leave.

But as soon as she turned around, the plump aunt's eyes lit up when she saw Cui Cui, dressed in a simple cloth skirt and wearing a plain hairpin. She exclaimed, "Oh my... oh my... she's so beautiful!"

"Go away, go away!" Yang Qiniang waved her hand impatiently. "I won't marry him!"

"Hey, hey!" The plump aunt nodded, but kept looking back at Cuicui every now and then before finally leaving the house.

Zhu Cuiwei glanced at it with a puzzled look.

Ning didn't say much, so she didn't ask.

Ning's face was still a little pale as she sipped her porridge.

"Cuicui, Erlaizi brought over some meat. Seventh Sister has cooked it and it's keeping it warm in the pot! Go and eat, are you hungry?"

Zhu Cuiwei nodded and thanked Seventh Sister. She had been sleeping all day and hadn't eaten, so she was indeed very hungry.

But he first sat down by the bed, asking about Ning's health while observing her complexion.

She was finally relieved to see that Ning had drunk half a bowl of porridge and eaten a few pieces of green vegetables.

Being able to eat means you're halfway cured.

"You should thank Cuicui." Yang Qiniang helped Cuicui take credit, picked up a spoon and handed her another spoonful.

"You don't need to tell me, this is my own daughter!" Madam Ning said with a smug smirk.

Yang Qiniang teased, "Then why don't you take her as your daughter-in-law?"

Zhu Cuiwei pursed her lips and lowered her eyes to stare at the quilt covering Ning Shi.

Ning stammered, changing the subject, "Tch! Your porridge is too watery..."

Yang Qiniang smiled and ignored her.

As she spoke, she urged Cuicui to go out for dinner.

"Hmm... then Seventh Miss, I'll trouble you to take care of my aunt."

Zhu Cuiwei thanked Yang Qiniang again. In front of outsiders, she maintained her status as Yang Qiniang's niece and called her "Auntie," but in private, she called her "Godmother."

Yang Qiniang smiled and told her to hurry up, otherwise the food would get cold.

Upon entering the kitchen, a fire was still burning in the stove, with an iron pot on top, steaming vegetables and rice inside.

She carried the dishes and rice to the main room and ate slowly.

When you're really hungry, food tastes especially delicious.

What surprised her just now was not only the unfamiliar plump aunt, but also the young doctor who could write poetry.

"Why haven't they come back yet...?"

She frowned.

Logically speaking, this place is not far from Nanjing, so sending a letter into the city should not be a difficult task.

Moreover, given the young doctor's abilities and cautious nature, he shouldn't encounter any major trouble. Two days should be enough for a round trip.

But it's already late, and there's still no sign of them returning.

"Could they have been captured by the Embroidered Uniform Guard?"

Zhu Cuiwei's eyes flickered, and her heart began to beat faster.

But the thought was quickly dismissed. Even if the Embroidered Uniform Guard was monitoring Fu Lai Tavern, they wouldn't make things difficult for a mere messenger.

Moreover, if the Imperial Guards saw the contents of that letter, they would be even less likely to arrest him; instead, they should have followed him there overnight.

However... nothing is absolute. If the Embroidered Uniform Guard thinks he was sent by the group that assassinated them, it's not impossible that they would give him a beating as a warning.

In addition, Nanjing is heavily guarded, especially after such a big incident, the patrols and defenses of the Five City Garrison will definitely be strengthened.

Although this young doctor is clever and intelligent, he was born in the countryside and doesn't know the rules. If he offends someone in Nanjing and is captured by the Five City Garrison, he probably won't even have the chance to produce that letter.

After all, in his eyes, she was just a little maid, and Master Zhu was a non-existent person. If he brought her out, it would only arouse suspicion.

As she thought about it, Zhu Cuiwei's face grew paler and paler, and her heart clenched.

What seemed like a foolproof plan before now appears to be full of loopholes.

"I should have gone with him." Her brows were furrowed, and she felt a pang of regret.

But she couldn't leave right now. Even with Yang Qiniang and the others around, she couldn't bear to leave Ning Shi alone. She couldn't let a sick widow stay at home by herself.

With these thoughts in mind, she handed over the reins to Yang Qiniang, telling her to go home and sleep while she would take care of Ning Shi.

Yang Qiniang glanced at Ning Shi with envy.

She also has a daughter who was very caring from a young age, but unfortunately she is already married.

Ning leaned against the bedding, looking smug.

Zhu Cuiwei helped her tidy up the bedding.

Time passed slowly, and Ning chatted with her for a long time. At the end, Ning told her to go to sleep, saying that her sister-in-law Sanjin would come to keep her company for the night, so she didn't need to worry.

As she spoke, Ning asked her to rummage through the wardrobe and find a bundle.

Zhu Cuiwei took it out and handed it over.

Ning took out a silver bracelet from inside and handed it to her with a smile: "Cuicui, I know you'll be going back after Ningwa comes back from Nanjing. Look, you've been calling me 'Mother' for so many days, and you saved my life yesterday. I'm giving you this silver bracelet as part of your dowry!"

The old woman took her hand, placed the silver bracelet in it, and studied her face carefully for a while before finally smiling and saying, "Go to sleep... go to sleep early..."

Zhu Cuiwei stared silently at the silver bracelet on her wrist, unsure of what to say.

It wasn't until Aunt Sanjin came over and told her to go to bed early that she mumbled an "okay" and slowly walked into Ningnan's room.

Moonlight streamed into the room through the window, making the entire room appear cold, white, and tranquil.

She remembered the young doctor saying that Ning had used all the family's money to have silverware made, intending to use it as a betrothal gift for him to find a wife...

She touched the silver bracelet on her wrist, and very late at night, she closed her eyes and let out a deep sigh.

...

...

The following day, Ning Nan still hadn't returned; it had been three days since he left.

Zhu Cuiwei got up early to make breakfast for Ning Shi and Aunt Sanjin.

Aunt Sanjin laughed and said, "Virtuous, so virtuous! It's just a pity that you're so stubborn. What's wrong with your cousins? You won't eat the grass near your own home, you insist on looking for someone outside..."

She didn't understand what Aunt Sanjin was saying at the time.

Two hours later, around noon, I finally understood.

Yesterday, that plump aunt came to the door and started shouting in the yard, "Sister Ning is so lucky!" After coming in, she pushed open the door and went into the inner room, saying, "Sister Ning, I've found a suitable one for Ning Nan."

Zhu Cuiwei's expression stiffened slightly.

Sanjin's sister-in-law sighed, "I wonder if Ningwa will cause a huge uproar when he comes back."

"But Sister Ning had no choice. As soon as she woke up yesterday afternoon, she asked us and Seventh Sister to go and ask a matchmaker to come to her house."

"Sister Ning is so scared after this illness! She's afraid she won't see Ningwa get married and have children, so she's in a hurry to find him a daughter-in-law..."

Zhu Cuiwei took the vegetables that her sister-in-law Sanjin brought over, and after a moment she responded with "Oh...oh..." She carried the vegetables to the kitchen, her expression the same as usual, a calm look as if nothing was bothering her, but her steps seemed a little heavy, much slower than usual.